Acrobatic toy



Feb. 23, 1954 A. A. MERCOLA ETAL. 2,669,801

ACROBATIC TOY Filed May 19, 1952 6.7%.?- pg a l zvroxs BY W6 Patented Feb. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i q 2,669,801 ACROBATIC 'r-oY Archibald A. Mercnla and Paul D. Tetrick,

BeverlyHills; Calif. ApplicatioiiMay 19, 1952, Serial No. 288,694 2 claims. (01. 46-133) This invention relates to improvements in acrobatic toys.

An object of the invention i to provide an improved acrobatic toy consisting essentially of a base, a pair of standards on the base, a horizontal bar rotatably mounted on the standards, and a figure mounted on the bar so as to be swung thereby as the bar rotates.

The improved acrobatic toy has a novel means by which the bar may be rotated so that it may be forcibly rotated in either direction and then allowed to coast or to continue to rotate freely whereby the figure will be caused to go through various gyrations or animations.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawing for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved acrobatic toy; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially upon the line 2-2 upon Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved toy comprises a suitable base It! on which two tubular standards II and I2 are rigidly mounted. At the upper ends of these standards there are forwardly extending ears [3 which provide bearings for a horizontal bar Id. The horizontal bar 14 is rotatably mounted in the bearings and adjacent one end it has rigidly secured thereto a pinion l5. This pinion is engageable by a rack l6 that is vertically slidable in the standard II. The rack adjacent its lower end is equipped with a downwardly extending stem I! to which is secured a handle l8. This handle protrudes through a vertical slot IS in the standard II. The rack is urged into its uppermost position by means of a coil compression spring disposed within the standard II and which is compressed between a spring seat 2| and a washer 22 that is fixed within the standard ll above the upper end of the slot IS. The upper end of the rack may be equipped with a weight 23 which tends to smooth out the action of the compression spring 20. The use of this Weight, however, is optional.

Adjacent the upper end and adjacent the lower end of the rack l6 teeth are omitted as indicated at 24 and 25 so that when the rack is at the ends of its stroke the pinion 15 in effect is disengaged so that the pinion and consequently the bar H can coast or rotate freely.

ohms bar I4 there is mounted a flexibleer" jointed figure 2t: shown as being attached to the bar by its arms or hands. This figure is fixedly attached to the bar on one side thereof although the torso and legs of the figure may be flexible or jointed. The weight of the figure is counterbalanced by a counterweight 21 mounted on an arm 28 that is rigidly attached to the bar and which extends therefrom on the opposite side from the figure 2B.

When the handle I8 is manually depressed the teeth of the rack E5 engage the pinion causing the pinion and consequently the bar It to be forcibly rotated. This causes the figure 26 to be swung about the bar it as an axis. When the rack I6 is fully depressed the pinion I5 is opposite the portion 2A and is consequently released by the rack. This permits the bar [4 to rotate freely and, in effect, coast to a stop. When the bar is forcibly rotated the figure 26 is swung outwardly from the bar by centrifugal action but as the bar coasts to a stop the flexible or jointed legs on the figure may cause the figure to go through various amusing gyrations or animations. If the handle It is released the compression spring 20 is effective to elevate the rack l6, rotating the bar 14 in the opposite direction. This causes the figure 2G to be oppositely swung and when the pinion is opposite the portion 25 the bar It is again released to coast to a stop.

From the above described construction it will be appreciated that the improved acrobatic toy is of relatively simple and durable construction and that it may be easily operated. In the course of its operation the figure is forcibly swung or rotated during a major portion of the stroke of the rack 16. However at the ends of the stroke of the rack Hi the bar I l is released or disengaged so that it may coast to a stop.

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction wtihout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

.1. An acrobatic toy comprising a base, a pair of spaced tubular standards on the base, one of said standards having a slot formed therein adjacent the base, U-shaped bearings on the free end of each standard, a bar rotatably supported by said bearings parallel to the base, a flexible figure fixedly attached to the bar, a pinion on the bar and within the confines of one bearing, a rack slidable within said one standard engageable with said pinion to rotate the pinion and bar, a stem on the rack, a spring about the stem to urge the rack to the uppermost position, a le- 3 ver on the stem extending outwardly through the slot in said standard by which the rack may be depressed, said rack at certain locations having teeth omitted therefrom in order that the pinion may be disengaged to permit the bar to freely rotate.

2. An acrobatic toy comprising a base, a pair of spaced tubular standards on the base, a hearing on the free end of each standard, a bar rotatably supported by said bearings, a flexible figure fixedly attached to the bar, a pinion adjacent one end of said bar, a rack reciprocable within one of said standards and in engaging relationship with said pinion for rotating said pinion and said bar, said rack having teeth omitted therefrom in order that the pinion may be disengaged to permit the bar to freely rotate, a stem on said rack, a spaced washer and seat on said stem, a coil spring about the stem and between said washer and seat for urging the rack to the uppermost 4 position, a handle on said stem adjacent said seat for actuating the rack, and a weight on the rack in opposed relationship to said handle.

ARCHIBALD A. MERCOLA.

PAUL D. TE'IRICK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 955,550 Reinhart Apr. 19, 1910 2,579,246 Zang Dec. 18, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 16,735 France Jan. 30, 1913 133,563 Great Britain Oct. 16, 1919 531,416 France Oct. 22, 1921 989,773 France Sept. 13, 1951 

